Colin Craig needs to harden up and quickly.
A mixture of bemusement and amusement greeted the Conservative Party leader's confirmation that he intends taking a defamation case against Greens co-leader Russel Norman unless the latter apologises for saying Craig "thinks that a woman's place is in the kitchen and a gay man's place is in the closet".
Norman's response could be summed up as follows: Make my day, Colin. Nothing would suit the Greens more than a court showdown with the Conservatives given Craig's inflammatory views on gays.
If Craig's threat is simply a stunt to get some publicity, it has been both poorly conceived and poorly executed. Craig blinked first when he was interviewed on Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme, responding to Mary Wilson's questions by appearing to soften his stance on gays and consequently sending mixed messages as to what he really believes.
However, the overriding impression now given by Craig is that he can hand it out in spades. But when it comes to taking it, he runs to the courts the way a child runs crying to its mother after being stung by a bee it has been taunting.
